My Little Koopalings: Friendship is Obnoxious
by Lord Siravant
Summary: After Cackletta banishes the Koopalings for their failure to defeat the Mario Bros., they arrive in a strange land populated by pastel talking ponies. As Celestia works on a way to send them back, the Koopalings must adjust to life in Ponyville by rooming with various ponies. Just how will the Koopalings cope with Ponyville? Or better yet, how will Ponyville cope with them?


**Chapter 1: A Strange Punishment**

Ludwig von Koopa, eldest of the Koopalings of Darkland, woke up with a pounding headache, one that could only have been achieved by a short fat plumber repeatedly jumping on it. Rubbing his forehead, he took in his surroundings. He was back in the dungeons of his father's castle, and that could only mean one thing.

He had failed to defeat the Mario Brothers again.

He was not alone in his cell; his siblings were all there as well, all but one. All of them sported bruises and black eyes, all signs that they had had similar luck against the accursed plumbers. But Bowser Jr. was nowhere to be seen, and Ludwig knew why.

It had all started when that witch possessed their father. Bowser, King of the Koopas, possessed by some crazy witch from the Bean Bean Kingdom! It was almost impossible to imagine, but it was the truth. Cackletta, Ludwig believed she was called. Under her new guise, she had invaded the Royal Castle and captured Junior, holding him hostage as she consolidated her power. She had ordered the Koopalings to stop Mario and Luigi from entering the castle or else they and Junior would all pay.

And they had failed.

Lemmy, the second oldest, and yet also the smallest, voiced what was on all their minds. "W-what's gonna happen to Junior?"

"I haven't thought of that yet," a new voice suddenly cackled. "_You _lot, on the other hand…"

Everyone stumbled to their feet and glared at their possessed father as he/she stood outside their cage, sneering in disappointment. "The task I gave you was simple, so very simple," Bowletta spoke, crossing her arms. "And you FAILED. Your father would be ashamed of you as well."

"You don't know a damned thing about our father!" Ludwig roared.

"I DID NOT GIVE YOU PERMISSION TO SPEAK!" Bowletta bellowed, her voice shaking the foundations of the entire castle.

The Koopalings instinctively shrunk back, causing Bowletta to smirk. "That's better. Thanks to your blundered efforts, the Mario Brothers are now making their way through _my_ castle."

The Koopalings collectively growled at this.

"Which means I'll have to deal with your little brother later," Bowletta continued. "But I still have time to deal with all of you. Hmm…I think eternal banishment is a worthy punishment, do you not agree?"

"Oh yeah?" Roy snapped. "What makes you think anything's stoppin' us from comin' back?!"

Bowletta's toothy grin widened. "The fact that not even you fools can travel across dimensions."

"Wait, _what_?" Larry gaped.

"Dimensions," Iggy explained. "You know, other worlds in other planes of existence…"

"Yes, Iggy, I KNOW what she meant!" Larry snapped.

Bowletta laughed. "Yes! I shall banish you from this dimension, leaving you stranded in another from which there can be no return! You shall never see your father or your little brother ever again!"

Ludwig put himself between Bowletta and his siblings, shakily pulling his trusty wand out of his shell. "Not if I can help it," he growled, swaying on his feet from his injuries.

Bowletta rolled her eyes. "One, you can barely stand, two, my magic is far superior to yours. You can do _nothing_. Farewell, Koopalings!"

Ludwig waved his wand, attempting to conjure a shield around himself and the rest of the Koopalings. However, Bowletta's spell washed right over him, consuming himself and his kin in a blinding white light.

XXXXXX

Ludwig remembered falling. Falling through an endless abyss of white alongside his brothers and sister.

_Is this…how it ends_? Ludwig thought to himself as his vision started to darken. _Father…I…I failed you. I failed everyone. I couldn't protect them. I'm sorry_…

All of a sudden, the white void slowly dissolved, revealing a town of some kind directly underneath the falling Koopalings. His last thoughts before he and the others crashed painfully to the ground was how this was probably going to hurt.

It did. A lot. With that, Ludwig lost consciousness.

XXXXXX

By now, the townsfolk of Ponyville, Equestria had gotten used to weird stuff happening in the town. Even without Discord's influence, Ponyville could easily be called the Chaos Capital of Equestria.

But this was just ridiculous.

Twilight Sparkle wasn't exactly sure what had happened. All she knew was that some weird portal had opened up in the sky directly over the town square and unceremoniously dumped seven strange turtle-like creatures onto the ground. Naturally several of the townsponies had panicked and fled to their homes, while others with slightly more backbone took a number of steps back and nervously watched the scene. Twilight, however, gasped in shock when she noticed that, not only were they unconscious, they were injured too.

Taking charge of the situation, Twilight said, "Somepony, get Nurse Redheart! These creatures are wounded!"

A gray pegasus with misaligned eyes saluted before flying off towards the Ponyville Hospital. As she waited, Twilight edged closer to inspect the creatures in closer detail. One had a full head of blue hair parted down the middle, a spiked blue shell, and a sharp buck tooth. Another had pink scales and a purple shell, and its eyes were hidden behind a pair of sunglasses. Another was black-scaled with a star-shaped birthmark on his face, thick eyebrows, and three strands of black hair poking out of the top of his head. A very small one had a rainbow Mohawk with a yellow ponytail and an orange shell. Another, apparently female, wore a pink bow with white polka-dots, as well as pink high-heeled shoes, pink lipstick, two large gold bracelets, and a pink shell. One had a blue Mohawk, a blue star tattoo on each side of his forehead, and a blue shell. The last one wore large round glasses and had green hair that stood up like a stalk of broccoli and a green shell. And all of them looked like they had been in a fight recently, one they had clearly lost.

"What are you?" Twilight whispered to herself as she inspected the strange visitors.

Soon Nurse Redheart arrived alongside six nurses, each bringing along a stretcher. "Is that them?" she asked, indicating the pile of unconscious turtle-beasts.

Twilight nodded. "They just fell out of the sky like that. That's all I know."

Redheart nodded. "We'll take it from here."

The unicorn nurses slowly lifted each creature onto a stretcher and carted them off in a hurried procession towards the hospital. Meanwhile, Twilight hurried off to tell her friends and write a letter to the princesses about this odd turn of events.

XXXXXX

_Ponyville Hospital, several hours later_…

When next Ludwig awoke, to his surprise he found himself in a soft bed in what appeared to be a hospital room. The next thing he noticed was that all of his injuries had been bandaged up and he didn't feel a thing. But that still did not answer the question of where he was, or where his siblings were.

But before the eldest Koopaling could get out of bed to go investigate matters, something entered the room that made Ludwig stop in surprise.

"Oh good, you're awake," the equine creature, dressed in a nurse's outfit, greeted in a decidedly-female voice. "How are you feeling?"

Ludwig blinked several times in order to assure himself that was he was seeing was real. "Are you…are you a _unicorn_?" he managed to utter.

The unicorn in question frowned. "I am. That isn't a problem, is it?"

"You mean, other than the fact I and my brothers and sister were all brought up believing unicorns to be myths and fairytales?" Ludwig responded.

The unicorn nurse quirked an eyebrow. "I can assure you, I'm no fairytale."

Ludwig snorted. "Clearly. I can usually tell if I'm suffering hallucinations, and I doubt Mario stomped on my head hard enough to elicit them."

"Mario? Who is this 'Mario'?" the unicorn asked.

Ludwig was surprised. "You've never heard of the famous Super Mario Brothers?"

The nurse shook her head. "No, can't say I have."

Then something occurred to Ludwig. _Wait…didn't that old crone say she was going to banish us to another dimension entirely? That would explain all of…this_.

"Ah, before I answer that," Ludwig spoke, clearing his throat, "I need to know how my siblings are faring."

The unicorn nurse smiled. "They're doing just fine. They're recovering in separate rooms, and you're the first one to wake, that I know of. I'm sorry, this completely slipped my mind, but I haven't caught your name. Mine's Nurse Redheart."

Ludwig nodded. "Charmed. I am Prince Ludwig von Koopa of Darkland. I am the eldest of my eight siblings, who are collectively known as the Koopalings."

Redheart curtsied in response. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Prince Ludwig. I hope you don't mind visitors; one of our own princesses would like to meet you."

"I do not mind," Ludwig answered. "Truthfully, I like the idea of meeting with a princess outside of the Royal Monthly Kidnapping."

Redheart blinked in surprise.

"Just an old habit of Father's," Ludwig explained. "There's this princess he always had a huge crush on. But because King Dad doesn't know the first thing about tact, he thinks that kidnapping her will somehow convince her to marry him. Naturally her saviors, the Mario Brothers, come to her rescue, singlehandedly beating the snot out of us, the armies of Darkland, and eventually Father himself in order to save her. It was fun the first time, but it lost its appeal about the third time after we got our shells kicked."

"Goodness, how awful!" Redheart exclaimed.

"It is nothing," Ludwig replied. "We Dragon-Koopas are made of stronger stuff than one might think. Now, about your visitor…"

Redheart immediately recollected herself. "Ah, yes, right! The Princess…um, I'll be back shortly, Prince Ludwig."

Ludwig nodded in acknowledgment before Redheart trotted out of the room. Relaxing in his bed, Ludwig pondered this strange turn of events. _So, we've been sent to another dimension that apparently is populated by creatures straight out of the kind of fairytales Wendy used to read when she was younger. I suppose it's better than being sent to some dimension where vicious demons are waiting to tear us to shreds. I do wonder what will become of Junior, though_…

When his thoughts strayed towards his youngest brother, the one Koopaling that had not accompanied them to this strange land, Ludwig's heart constricted. He did not know what would happen to Junior now that he and the others were not there to protect him. Would the Mario Brothers reach Cackletta before she devised some cruel torture to inflict on the young Dragon-Koopa? He was just a child; getting his shell kicked by Mario in a fight was one thing. Cold-blooded torture was another thing entirely, and Ludwig dreaded the very idea of that little boy crying out in agony as Cackletta had her sadistic way with him.

He was shaken out of his morbid thoughts when someone else entered the room. When he saw her, his eyes widened and his jaw went slack. A tall, slender alabaster pegacorn gazed back at him with tender, motherly eyes that belied ages of wisdom. She wore a gold crown atop her head, as well as a golden collar and slippers. She was, quite frankly, magnificent to behold, and Ludwig found himself at a loss for words. She smiled warmly at the Koopaling. "Greetings, Prince Ludwig von Koopa of Darkland," she spoke. "I am Princess Celestia. Welcome to Equestria."

It took several moments for Ludwig to find his voice. _Dammit, Ludwig_, he cursed himself inwardly. _You are a prince of Darkland, not a lovestruck simpleton_!

"I…uh, greetings, Princess," Ludwig finally answered, collecting himself. "I've met several princesses in my lifetime, but they all pale in comparison to your radiance."

Celestia laughed, the sound absolutely melodious to Ludwig's ears. His fascination with her was not romantic; her aura gave the impression that, despite carrying a title equal to his, she was leagues above him. No, he was merely appreciating the pure magnificence before him. Celestia was a living, breathing work of art grander than any symphony he could ever hope to compose. "You flatter me, Ludwig," Celestia said. "I can only hope that flattery extends to your siblings."

Ludwig scoffed. "I can assure you, it does not. Morton's a chatterbox who has no filter between his brain and his mouth, Roy's a thick-headed bully who likes to act like he's cool, Wendy's a spoiled brat, Iggy is slightly unhinged and every bit the mad scientist, Larry's a selfish greedbag with an unhealthy fascination with video games, and Lemmy, despite being the second oldest, is a complete child who fantasizes about joining the circus. I'm the politest one of the group."

Celestia quirked an amused eyebrow. "I know a few ponies your siblings would get along quite well with."

Ludwig sighed. "As nice as the idea of actually making some friends for once sounds, we would like nothing more than to return to our own dimension. You see, we were sent here by a vile witch named Cackletta, and she made several threats against our youngest brother Junior before she banished us."

Celestia nodded in understanding. "And you worry for his safety."

"Of course I do! I'm his big brother. I'm supposed to be able to protect him, and…I failed."

Ludwig blinked in surprise as he felt Celestia drape one of her angelic wings over his shoulders. "Do not worry, young Ludwig. I will do my very best to help you, but it will take some time."

Ludwig's shoulders slumped. "I understand. Until then, I'll just have to hold out on the hope that the Mario Brothers get to her before she has a chance to harm Junior. I hope they'll save King Dad too; Cackletta had the audacity to possess him before invading the Royal Castle."

"I was told these Mario Brothers are adversaries of yours," Celestia spoke.

Ludwig nodded. "That's correct. To be precise, they're our father's mortal enemies, and since we are also his elite minions, we sometimes get roped into those conflicts as well. It has never worked out favorably with us; not once have we beaten them. And neither has King Dad. You'd think a short plumber with an eating disorder wouldn't have so much fight in him. Iggy has suggested poisoning him on numerous occasions, but Father always said that was cowardly and too easy."

Celestia quirked an eyebrow. "My family is…eccentric," Ludwig said with a weak grin.

"Clearly," Celestia replied. "In the event we succeed in getting you home, I'd like to have a discussion with your father about how children _should_ be raised."

Ludwig laughed. "I wish you the best of luck with that. King Dad isn't that great a listener. It was a major bone of contention between Mum and Father before she passed."

Celestia closed her eyes and tiled her head down. "I'm sorry to hear that."

Ludwig waved a hand dismissively. "It is alright. We have accepted the loss and moved on."

Celestia nodded her head in understanding. "I'm glad of that. When you and your siblings have fully recovered, you can explore the town while lodgings are arranged. I have a few ideas in mind."

Ludwig nodded. "I appreciate that, Princess. Thank you."

Suddenly they heard one of the nurses in the next room over utter a startled gasp as a loud voice filled the air. "I'm hungry! Which one'a ya punks is gonna bring me a sandwich?!"

Ludwig sighed and shook his head. "Looks like Roy just woke up."

XXXXXX

Roy, irate from the events that had played out before he had fallen unconscious and hungry to boot, watched as the pastel-colored pony in a nurse outfit scurried nervously out of his hospital room, hopefully to get him that sandwich. _Shoot! I didn't tell 'em what kinda sandwich I wanted_! Roy inwardly realized. _Well, it better be good or there'll be shell to pay_...

Then the fact that he was alone in that room registered in his mind, and his eyes widened behind his prized pink shades. "The others..." he whispered frantically, ignoring his aching body as he stumbled out of his bed. "Where're the others?!"

"Relax, Roy. We're all safe."

Roy started as he heard a familiar voice by the door. Whipping around, he caught a good look at the intruder and let out a deep sigh of relief. "Ludwig! Thank da freakin' stars."

Ludwig chuckled. "We're Koopalings, Roy. You really think a cross-dimensional portal would do us in that easily?"

Roy shook his head. "Cross what-now?"

Ludwig smirked. "Ah, good to know you're still the same uncomprehending brute we all know."

"Ludwig, where the shell are we anyway? Oh, and screw you."

"We're in another world in another universe," Ludwig explained. "This place is called Equestria, apparently. I just had a chat with the ruling princess."

Roy frowned. "Princess, huh?"

"Don't you dare give Father any ideas when we get back to our own world."

"And what if I do?" Roy asked pompously.

Ludwig sighed. "Now is too early to be dealing with your belligerence, Roy. I'm going to check on the others. Stay here so you can recover from your injuries."

"And then what?"

Ludwig looked over his shoulder as he turned towards the door. "We're going to get acquainted with the locals."

XXXXXX

Ludwig found Lemmy next, who was still unconscious in his bed. Now that he had time to observe his younger brother, Ludwig realized just how _vulnerable_ he looked. With his diminutive size, carefree attitude, and moderate clumsiness, it was easy to forget that Lemmy was the second oldest of Bowser's brood. As he quietly watched over Lemmy, it occurred to Ludwig that Princess Celestia raised a fine argument. Ludwig was not about to deny that he and most of his siblings, even fashion-obsessed, girly-girl Wendy, could hold their own in a fight, Lemmy on the other hand did not have that same potential. Lemmy had once confided in Ludwig that he didn't even like fighting Mario and kidnapping the princess. And he always took it the hardest when Bowser's latest plan was foiled, as despite not liking what he was ordered to do, he still tried his best because he loved his father. Every one of the Koopalings tried as hard as they could, despite being bested again and again, because they loved their father. And yet…

_What kind of father sends his own children out to fight his enemy, knowing that they would inevitably fail against Mario's unnatural tenacity_? Ludwig wondered bitterly to himself. _Most of us can at least take as much as we can dish out, but Lemmy_?

He had sworn to protect his younger siblings, and yet he let his own father put them in danger time and again out of his idiotic obsession with Princess Peach. When they did return home, and Celestia inevitably confronted Bowser on his less-than-stellar parenting methods, Ludwig decided he might put in a good word himself. Maybe he'd finally find the time he needed to seek a job as a symphony conductor outside of his father's employment.

Ludwig then moved on to Morton's room, and the big lug was fast asleep, snoring like a lumberjack. Ludwig shook his head in bemusement before continuing on, checking on each of his siblings one after the other. Though all of them were bruised and unconscious, they were fine. Assured that they were all safe and in capable hands, or hooves, as the case may be, Ludwig returned to his own bed to get some well-deserved rest.

XXXXXX

_Golden Oaks Library_…

"How are they, Princess?" Twilight asked, her friends gathered around and listening in earnest.

"They will all make a full recovery," Celestia answered with a smile. "The eldest one has already awakened, and from him I gathered the names and personalities of himself and his siblings. His name is Ludwig, and the rest are Lemmy, Roy, Iggy, Wendy, Morton, and Larry. They are collectively known as the Koopalings, and are the children of the king of a land in another world called Darkland."

The Mane Six and Spike gasped in surprise. "You mean they come from another world?!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

"The huge portal in the sky was kind of a dead giveaway, don't ya think, Dash?" Applejack replied.

Rainbow scratched her head. "Well, I guess you kinda have a point," she conceded.

"What are they doing here, Princess?" Rarity asked. "And why were they in such horrible shape?"

"They were defeated in battle, and the evil witch that possessed their father and forced them to fight, banished them to our world as punishment for their failure. They desperately wish to return, as the witch threatened the life of their youngest sibling, who is not among them, shortly before banishing them."

Fluttershy put her hoof to her mouth. "Oh my!" she whimpered. "How awful!"

"My sister and I will begin working on a way to send them back," Celestia continued. "In the meantime, they will require lodgings during their stay. When they fully recover, I will gather the townspeople, and we can decide who will room with who."

"If they can't walk on clouds, I ain't gonna be much help," Rainbow said.

"We'll figure it all out in good time," Celestia responded. "For now, we wait."

XXXXXX

_Three days later_…

Ludwig and his siblings all watched as Nurse Redheart gave them a clean bill of health. But before they went, she said, "You might want to head to the town square. Everypony's waiting for you there."

"Every_pony_?" Roy exclaimed as they walked towards the main part of town. "Who the shell says somethin' like that?!"

"Roy, keep that sort of thing to yourself," Ludwig admonished. "The last thing we need is to start off on the wrong foot with these guys. We are going to be staying here for a while, I'm sure."

"What's with their houses?" Wendy spoke up, looking at the buildings with an expression of disgust. "Thatched roofs are _soooo_ last century."

"I think they look nice," Lemmy piped up.

"Probably cuz your eyes are too messed up to know any better," Roy sneered.

Lemmy looked hurt. Ludwig knew the subject of his misaligned eyes was a sore spot for his second-oldest brother. "Roy, that's enough!" Ludwig snapped. "Even King Dad's told you to stop making fun of Lemmy's eyes."

"King Dad ain't here though, is he?" Roy countered.

Then the gravity of what he had just said hit him as hard as it did the others. "No, he isn't," Larry said glumly.

In a rare moment of regret, Roy said, "Um, yeah, sorry I said that."

In an obvious effort to change the subject, Larry said, "I sure hope they got video games on this world."

"With houses like these, I doubt it," Morton began. "I mean, just look at 'em! They look like somethin' straight outta the Renaissance, not that I know much about that cuz I slept through half'a my history classes, but seriously, even I know that they didn't have video games in the Renaissance and…"

"SHUT UP, MORTON!" the other Koopalings all chorused at once.

But the largest Koopaling still had to get one last word in. "Oh look, we're here. Look at all dem ponies! It's like we walked into a real-life version of all dem girly-girl cartoon shows Wendy forced us to watch whenever…"

Roy shoved his fist into his brother's mouth. "Can it, will ya?! Jeez, we just got outta the hospital, and I already gotta migraine!"

The gathered ponies all watched the exchange play out with varying degrees of concern, confusion, and in some cases, amusement. Ludwig smiled weakly and stepped forward. "I apologize for my brothers. They're a bit of a wild bunch."

Celestia giggled. "It's quite alright. I know what it's like to have rambunctious siblings. Now, perhaps you'd like to introduce yourselves to the townsfolk here, in order to find which of them would be best suited for taking you in."

"Hey, Kooky," Larry spoke up. "What's she talking about?"

A vein throbbed in Ludwig's forehead. "I thought I told you not to use that Stars-forsaken name!" Catching himself, Ludwig calmed down and cleared his throat. "Anyways, my name is Ludwig von Koopa. I am the oldest of our brood. I am eighteen years of age, and I am a symphony composer and conductor. The orchestra is my life's blood, and I would rather be a famous composer than a king any day."

That immediately caught the attention of one of the mares, who stepped forward and regarded him with interest. She had a medium-grey coat, and a dark-grey mane styled with all the air of a well-known socialite. On her flank was the symbol of a musical note. "Greetings, Ludwig," she spoke with an upper-crust English accent. "My name is Octavia. I would be more than happy to accept a fellow practitioner of the musical arts into my home."

Ludwig grinned. _That was remarkably easy_, he thought to himself before bowing grandly. "I thank you for your generosity, dear Octavia."

Without waiting for anyone else to go first, Morton stepped forward and declared, "Hey, y'all. Name's Morton Koopa, Jr., and I like to talk as much as I like to eat! So, which one'a ya dames is ready for a dose of Morton's magic?"

"I don't think he even realizes how provocative that sounds," Larry whispered to Roy, who snickered.

"Ooh, ooh, I am!" one of the ponies abruptly declared.

Roy and Larry gaped. "Well, didn't see dat comin'," Roy remarked as a pink pony with a wild, poofy mane that looked oddly similar to cotton candy and a tattoo on her flank depicting three balloons bounced over to greet Morton.

"Hi, I'm Pinkie Pie! I like to talk and eat as much as you do, and I work at the local sweet shop, Sugarcube Corner!" the pink pony replied in a tone as excitably chatty as Morton's.

Morton grinned as she took him by the arm and led him towards Sugarcube Corner. "I'm all yours."

Ludwig groaned as he facepalmed. "It's my worst nightmare come to life. Those two together will drive me deaf all over again…"

Lemmy, balancing on his ball, did a few tricks as he introduced himself. "Hi, my name's Lemmy Koopa! I'm the second-oldest Koopaling!" He did his best to ignore the disbelieving stares. "I also like to do tricks on my ball! One day, I wanna join a circus!"

"Yeah, your wonky eyes'll be enough of a show," Roy joked.

Lemmy's anger and hurt caused him to lose concentration, and he suddenly tumbled off his ball and landed in the dirt. Roy, Larry, and Iggy all laughed like deranged hyenas, and didn't bother to notice that no one else joined them. However, Lemmy's plight struck a nerve with a particular member of the crowd, who flew forward and came to Lemmy's side, helping him up. "You should be ashamed of yourselves!" Lemmy's rescuer chided angrily. "Making fun of your own brother for something he can't help!"

Lemmy shook his head and looked up at his savior. She was light-grey, with a blond mane and a tattoo of bubbles adorning her flank. But it was her eyes that he noticed first.

They were misaligned, just like his.

"Holy crap, she's got his freaky eyes too!" Roy laughed.

"ROY KOOPA, THAT IS ENOUGH!" Ludwig roared, at the end of his patience.

"Yes, _Mom_," he mumbled a little too quietly.

The derp-eyed pegasus glared a few moments longer at Roy before she smiled warmly down at Lemmy. "My name's Derpy Hooves," she greeted. "I can take you in, if you want."

Lemmy's heart swelled with joy. "I-I'd like that very much!"

The diminutive Koopaling wrapped Derpy in a hug, which she returned with a soft, motherly laugh. The crowd let out a collective "aww". "C'mon, let's get you something to eat," she said. "I bet you're hungry."

Lemmy eagerly nodded his head. "Mmhmm!"

Lemmy waved his magic scepter, dispersing the ball into nothingness before walking off with Derpy. Ludwig smiled. Lemmy was in good hands…er, _hooves_. With that done, Iggy stepped up next. "I am Ignatius Koopa, or Iggy, for short," he greeted as he adjusted his glasses. "I'm a scientist and an inventor, and I seek to understand the way the world works, one experiment at a time."

This immediately caught the interest of a lavender unicorn with violet mane and tail and a pink stripe running through both and a star-like design on her rear, who stepped forward and said, "I think I've got room for you. My name's Twilight Sparkle. I'm a scientist at heart too, and I'd love to have you as a colleague!"

"Do you have a lab?" Iggy asked.

"Sure do! A pretty big one, at that!"

A glint appeared in Iggy's calculating eyes. "Well then, show me the way, new roomie."

"How much you wanna bet their house blows up by the end of the week?" Larry whispered to Roy as they watched Twilight and Iggy depart.

"No way am I dumb enough to take ya up on a bet like THAT," Roy immediately replied.

Larry huffed. "Dang it."

"'Sides, our money's probably no good here," Roy added.

The utterly mortified look on Larry's face was enough to make Roy cackle madly. Huffing at her brothers' uncouth behavior, Wendy introduced herself next. "Hi, I'm Wendy Ophelia Koopa, Princess of the Kingdom of Darkland!"

"Wow, she's still milkin' that title for all it's worth," Roy chuckled.

Wendy shot him a murderous glare before turning back to the crowd. "As you may have guessed by my fabulous appearance, I am into the fashion scene. Whatever's the latest, I want in."

"Hey, Wendy! Tell 'em about the time Larry tricked you into wearin' a lampshade cuz you thought it was the newest fashion statement!" Roy crowed in the background, Larry laughing uproariously at that particular memory.

Wendy whirled on her mouthy brother, ready to claw his smug face off, when another pony came to Wendy's side and put a hoof on the fuming Koopaling's shoulder. "Ah, dear, why don't you come with me? It wouldn't do well for that rude brother of yours to get to you in front of all these good ponies, would it?"

Wendy deflated slightly, cooling down her temper when she realized that the pony had a point. She looked to see that the pony was a marshmallow-white unicorn with an expertly-coiffed violet mane and tail. Three blue diamonds were tattooed on her flank. "Come along, Wendy, dear," the unicorn spoke tenderly. "I'll take you in. My name is Rarity, by the way."

"Um, nice to meet you, Rarity," Wendy replied.

Larry cackled as they left. "Did you get a load of that one's hair?"

"She looked like a walking, talking marshmallow to me," Roy smirked.

Ludwig was about to go over there and punch both Roy and Larry in their faces, but somepony abruptly beat him to it, a butter-yellow pegasus with a long pink mane and tail and three butterflies on her flank. She got right in Roy's face and cried, "How _dare_ you talk about my friend like that?! You've got some nerve, going around and saying such cruel, hurtful things to these innocent ponies! What would your mother think?!"

Then, something amazing happened. Ludwig could somehow feel the force of that pegasus's stern glare all the way from where he was, despite it not being directed at him. Roy looked into those eyes, felt them pierce his very soul, and for the first time in a while, couldn't form a coherent sentence. "I…I…uh…"

"I'll be the one to take you in, Roy Koopa," the pegasus spoke with conviction, something the townsponies regarded with a great deal of surprise. "You need to learn some manners, young colt. And I'm going to teach you."

Roy shivered under the force of her Stare. "Y-yes'm."

"Come with me, we're going to my cottage."

"Y-yes, ma'am."

Roy then wordlessly followed the yellow pegasus towards a small cottage just outside town, the whole town watching them go with mouths hanging open. "How did…how did she _do_ that?" Larry stammered.

"There is far more to dear Fluttershy than one might suspect," Celestia spoke. "Something all of us need reminding of once in a while."

"He didn't even get to introduce himself," Larry spoke.

"I'd say he's done a good enough job of that for the past ten minutes," Ludwig replied tersely. "You're next, Larry."

"Oh, poo," Larry spoke. He never did like being in the spotlight. "Um…yeah, my name's Larry Koopa. I'm into sports and video games. I'm also a game designer and three-time Darkland Tennis Champion. I also like money. A lot."

This time, an orange mare wearing a Stetson cowboy hat stepped up and said, "If it's money yer lookin' for, we can always use an extra hoof, er, hand in yer case, over at Sweet Apple Acres! We got room for ya, providin' ya earn yer keep. Mah name's Applejack."

"You got any video games?" Larry asked.

"Er, no. Ah don't even know what those are."

"Crud. There goes that option. Can you at least play tennis?"

"Ah played it with Rainbow Dash once. Ah reckon Ah can go a few rounds with ya, if y'all ever feel up for it."

"Well, at least that's two things I can live with," Larry agreed. "So, where's this ranch of yours?"

"Oh, it's a farm, not a ranch!" Applejack replied. "Right this way, Larry!"

Larry followed Applejack through the crowd towards Sweet Apple Acres. Once they were gone, Celestia smiled. "Well, that's everyone! I hope you all will find your stays fulfilling, and maybe learn a few lessons about friendship along the way!"

As Princess Celestia rode off in her chariot back towards her castle, Octavia turned to her new roommate. "Shall we go get you settled in, then?"

Ludwig offered his arm. "I'd be delighted, Miss Octavia."


End file.
